Two Shots
by The Countess of Monte Cristo
Summary: This is a written account of the bonus manga chapter that details the chance first meeting of Hiei and Kurama a year before they encounter Yusuke.


_A/N_ _This is by no means an original story. I decided that my first foray into the realm of writing fan fiction would be the easy assignment of writing out the plot from the manga chapter Two Shots in which Hiei and Kurama meet for the first time. The only thing I added were descriptions of events and what the characters were thinking at the time. For those who only watched the anime and are unfamiliar with this story enjoy, I didn't change anything plot wise keeping it as much in canon as I could. Please review and be nice as this is my first fan fiction._

Hiei- Thief; wielder of the Jagan or Evil Eye which grants various arcane abilities such as telepathy. The Jagan is a treasure he acquired, through pain and determination, for a very specific purpose.

Kurama- A fox demon that possessed a human in utero. Also an accomplished thief, suppressing his demonic powers, he lives among the humans as Shuichi Minamino.

Here is the tale of how… these two met.

The remains of the old doll factory stood as a dark and twisted reminder of a time when this place created comfort and warmth. Now all that remained of the place was a haunting echo of the cold and macabre. The building itself remained somewhat intact though the inside was largely scorched the outside remained pristine, a façade that belayed the evil that lurked within its walls. The factory was removed from town, hidden deep within the woods on the outskirts of the city. The place never saw many visitors very few were brave enough to venture into this cursed place. However, three young men strayed into the factory hoping to find some cheap thrills within its walls.

"Pretty sweet hideout, huh?" asked one boy to his companion carelessly treading on one of the abandoned doll parts littered around the floor issuing a crack that resounded in the eerily silent factory echoing off the walls.

"Pretty creepy, too," came the uneasy reply, "All these burnt dolls and stuff…" he finished weakly.

"You scared?" inquired his friend condescendingly turning to glare at his frightened companion.

"M-me?" he stammered tremulously, "Nope!" he added in a louder voice in order to compensate for his seeming lack of courage.

"Nobody comes here. It's perfect!" interjected the third boy waving appreciatively at their surroundings.

"I hear it was a mannequin factory." One boy informed his two accomplices. "Then that fire…lotsa people died…"

The rather skittish boy gulped audibly at this and visibly paled. Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed. There was a tension in the air and a sudden chill crept through the building. If any of the group was spiritually aware they would have felt the presence of something…something not human. One boy gasped and yelled, "Behind you!"

Whipping around enough to give anyone whip lash the other jumped sweat pouring off of him in buckets, "Wot?" he half screamed.

"Ha ha!" the one who yelled laughed doubling over in mirth, "Didya see his face?" he guffawed.

"Y-you dork!" he screeched obviously still not recovered from the previous heart attack he just had.

"How do you figure to attack anyone if you're scared of vengeful spirits?" asked an incredulous thug of his friend.

"All that kind o' hooey makes this easier," continued the other oblivious to the object of his rant's sudden distress, "Nobody'll come around 'cause they're afraid of ghosts."

"Uh…" muttered his friend weakly staring in absolute horror behind his companion.

"Hey don't try to pull the same trick on us…" started one of the boys.

"Let's go find a coupla girls and bring 'em back he—" he was suddenly interrupted by a blood chilling noise like sharp nails trailing on a tiled floor. The two turned around in time to see something that they would never get the luxury of having enough time to fear.

Sitting around the junior high classroom a group of ninth graders gathered around gossiping about the latest bit of news.

"What? Again?" asked one of the students skeptically.

. "Yeah. One of my brother's classmates—been gone a week," replied the boy baring the news somewhat proudly, "Along with two other guys."

"They probably just took off, y'know," one of the other students supplied, "I know I'd like to. This town is so dull."

"Maybe they were spirited away!" offered Tasaka in jest.

"Sure would explain all the recent disappearances!" agreed Susume enthusiastically raising her hand in the air her wavy blond bob bouncing in excitement.

"Ha, figured you'd go for that," retorted Tasaka an exasperated grin on his face.

"Not like Maya would," came her indignant reply, "Right?"

The girl in question, Maya Kitajima, a cute girl with an innocent face framed by short raven hair, fixed her light violet gaze on the retreating back of a violently red-haired boy who stuck out not only do to his bright hair but due to the fact that he was the only one in the room who wore a button down blue school uniform.

"Shuichi!" she called to him making him turn slightly to look at her expectantly, "How 'bout you?"

He paused looking at her with his slightly unnerving vivid green eyes. Eyes that held the wisdom of ages, eyes that did not belong on the fresh face of a fourteen-year-old boy. He absently ran a hand through his short hair contemplating how best to answer.

"Maybe they just ran away," Shuichi answered simply in his smooth alto.

"Oh Shuichi, that's boring!" Maya insisted frantically wagging her finger at him, "I figure abduction by…oh…ghosts or aliens. Maybe a secret cult! That kind of thing!"

Shuichi hesitated as if considering her opinion to be a viable option, "Hmm…seems unlikely."

"Ha! Not so! There's weird stuff everywhere!" she persisted with vigor. Her aura seemed to come alive as she spoke of this with such fire and determination and fanatic gleam in hers eyes.

Meanwhile during this exchange an irate Tasaka steadily became more and more irritated.

"Wot's she see in 'im…" he demanded desperately a resolute frown deepening as he watched Maya follow Minamino around the classroom continuing to spout her nonsense about the supernatural.

"You still steamed Maya's all gooey over Minamino?" Susume mocked amusement creeping into her tone.

"Well he…He wears a uniform when it's not required." He complained exasperated," who does that?"

"Though I can appreciate her tastes. He so handsome, and what an unusual hair color. You're just jealous," she chided

"Darn right!" he raged flinging an eraser at the back of Minamino's head.

"Hey!" Susume admonished.

"Y'know I've got a bit of a sixth sense…" Maya continued oblivious to the projectile making its way toward Minamino's head.

At seemingly the last second and with astounding dexterity, Minamino, without even turning around, deftly caught the offending eraser with a neat snap. Maya hearing the sound made an inquisitive noise.

Minamino paused to study the object in his hand and whispered curiously, "An eraser…"

Behind him a stunned Tasaka muttered "Geez…," while beside him an equally amazed Susume breathed "Wow…"

As the day slowly dragged by Kurama could not help but dwell on the idea of so many students recently disappearing. He was beginning to feel as if these disappearances were not of natural origin.

"Missing people…" he mutters to himself walking listlessly through the hallway with the quickly waning sunlight filtering in through the windows as he walked past, "…it couldn't be but...an unreal miasma is building around here…"

His musings quickly ceased as he felt a familiar demonic energy. Starting he looked in the direction the aura had come from, surprised to see a gurgling blob materialize itself emitting disguising blurping sounds. The blob congealed itself into the form of a slimy head with pointed horns and bared fangs.

"Kurama, you scum…" it rasped in oily tones, "…I'm gonna kill ya, I am! And then I'll claim this town for the Demon Realm!"

"Slim Ogre…" Kurama intoned his normally light voice deeper and threatening, "You're back, forget the vow you made to me in exchange for not finishing you off?" Kurama remembered well their last meeting. This demon upstart had picked a fight with him hoping to earn some territory for his trouble not believing that the weak human body Kurama possessed belied a danger far greater than he had anticipated. Kurama had not even had to manifest his own power to nearly kill this creature. He had chosen to spare him, succumbing to his human compassion. However, the demon did vow revenge on this "pathetic excuse for a demon" as he had called him. Kurama thought nothing of this, even blindfolded he could defeat this one.

"I didn't forget!" the ogre proclaimed in his fury, "But I've got a new ally, a real killer! We'll get you this time!

Unimpressed Kurama moved with inhuman speed to swat this creature, but before the hit could connect he sprang forward and crashed through the open window claiming to have seen the blow coming and laughing as he fled.

_A lesser demon out for revenge on the one that nearly killed him, _Kurama thought contemplating his current situation_. That must be some ally he's got. I'd rather not manifest my own powers. _Doing so would take its toll on his body as he had barely had the need to practice his particular abilities in the past. Since becoming human he had gone lax in his training, and it would take time to gain enough power to become a significant threat to any interloping demons._ But if he's declared this town his hunting ground…_he continued his thought a fierce surge of determination and anger swelling within him narrowing his eyes_, he'll get no more mercy…from the human side of the demon that protects it._

So deep in his thoughts was he that he wasn't aware of the presence behind him.

"What was that a…" Maya faltering in a whisper startling Kurama out of his reverie, "…a ghost?"

Cursing his negligence at having been snuck up on, he attempted to explain but before he could get the words out Maya continued.

"It was so…gross...and smelly!" she continued more awed than afraid, "Are things like that always so repulsive?"

_She saw it?_ He railed in his mind_. That's not good_. Out loud he said, "I'm sure you're mistaken, Maya." Even to him his lie seemed transparent.

_I was afraid of this…my presence has enhanced her sixth sense_. He had heard of cases like this. Were in powerful demons who choose to associate with humans had the effect of heightening the human's natural spiritual abilities. It was rare but the demonic energy a demon emits can sometimes be so strong that it can cause those around said demon to experience an increase in power secondhand. That was clearly the case here.

Naturally Maya was not buying his lie as she continued, "No, I'm not. It was there clear as day!" Kurama cringed inwardly at her persistence, "And I heard you talk to it. You are in tune with the Spirit World! Don't deny it, Shuichi" she gushed.

Much to Kurama's chagrin she continued her spiel, "And to think you're also…my first love!" her last statement floored him more so even then her admission of seeing the demon. He stared at her in unabashed awe for a few moments as a blush spread across her cheeks. Kurama decided the best way to try to convince her she hallucinated was to walk her home. Then he may be able to erase her memory if she continues to peruse the subject. He could not allow anyone to know his secret…regardless of how he might feel…

"So you had no idea..?" Maya asked innocently enough though Kurama could sense a mounting longing hidden beneath her careful words. They were walking home as the setting sun bled crimson rays across the horizon.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't," he replied honestly. He was too engrossed in far more urgent matters to pay any attention to the feeling of a young human girl. Dreading her next question they continued to walk side by side as the sun set.

"Then…" she began refusing to look him in the eye, "How do you feel…about me?" it was hard not to hear the note of hope thinly veiled by her tone. "It's okay…really! I'll understand if you don't," she continued earnestly in what he was sure she believed to be an offhand manner.

_I can't tell you_. He thought, "I'm sorry…" he admonished with his back to her. _It's too dangerous to tell you how I really feel…Many demons still plague the city and with the new threat of the Slime Ogre's ally it was not wise to have such a debilitating weakness as to care for one of these humans. Shiori was enough of a handicap, and if the demons found out about his mother he was sure to be at a very significant disadvantage._ Feelings were a liability for him, and he had to protect as many people as he could even if he had to protect them from himself.

Kurama could almost feel the disappointment and hurt radiating from her at his rejection. Composing herself quite quickly she managed to stammer, "Okay…I…guess I'll go home..."

Hiei's POV

Resting atop a tree overlooking the down town area of the city, Hiei stood using his Jagan eye to search for traces of demonic aura. This is the area where Eight-Hands's henchman was last known to be. It was imperative that the find him fast so as to determine the identity of the ice-maiden that Eight-hands had captured. He feared the worst on this, but it was one of the few leads he had acquired since reaching the Human Realm.

There, he sensed it. A faint demon aura on the sidewalk not far from here.

"I will find you, Yukina…"

Kurama's POV

He was feeling rather guilty over breaking this poor girl's heart when he felt it. Such a strong aura barely registering in his senses. He reached out and put a firm hand on Maya's shoulder, startling her, as he prepared himself for the assault.

_I almost didn't sense him! What skill—and bloodlust!_ "Stay close to me..." he urged her searching the periphery with his mind readying for the attack. _This may be serious trouble. He is quite strong…I definitely cannot beat him without using my powers…!_

Suddenly a lighting fast blow thundered against the ground where they were just standing. Abandoning their school bags, Kurama lifted Maya in his arms swiftly dodging the blow and carrying them both to safety several feet away even as she gave a small squeak of surprise and terror.

Suddenly a black blur came into view. He was a relatively small demon clad in a black cloak tightly cinched at the waist with a thin belt. A white scarf was tied around his neck and a matching white bandana encircled his forehead. His dark hair was spiked, standing on end with a white starburst in the center. He wielded a deadly katana in his right hand and there was no doubt in Kurama's mind that he knew how to use it. He looked slightly surprised as he spoke in a deep and deadly voice, "You...dodged my stroke!"

Ignoring the demon for the time being Kurama asked in concern, "You okay?"

Maya gulped and answered in a small voice, "I-I guess…" she paused to catch her breath and steady her racing heart before continuing, "Are you okay? He looks vicious!" Though in her mind she only though was of how strong he as that he carried her so easily.

"He is vicious- and cunning!" was his answer being a very good reader of aura as he was. Before they could say anymore the demon launched his second attack. Without ceremony Kurama roughly pushed Maya away and out of the line of fire. Stooping for only a second Kurama picked a blade of grass and by manipulating his demon energy transformed it into a real blade of considerable size and sharpness to match his attacker's katana.

"Ah!" came the enemy's voice, "Plants are your motif, I see"

Parrying the demons blows Kurama implored Maya to run fearing for her safety as they fought. Maya seemed to be in shock after witnessing a demon attack, staring uncomprehendingly at him as she was. _Better lead him away._ Moving faster than he had in almost two decades, he jumped impossibly high leading his unknown attacker into the woods away from both innocent bystanders and prying eyes.

Maya watched all this with wide eyes fearful for her sanity or lack thereof. "Too weird…" she muttered to herself, "must be a dream…" Hearing the shuffling of footsteps behind her she turned only to be quickly knocked unconscious.

"Heh heh heh…" intoned the Slime Ogre atop a human boy possessing his body, "Lucky me. Everything's going my way today." He said evilly lifting the young girl into his arms. "This will make a nice present for master Eight-hands."

_Clang!_

Kurama was begging to tire against such a skilled opponent. Blades were certainly not his forte_. I'll just have to start carrying around roses again if I'm going to be attacked like this so often._ Roses are his weapon of choice as he can turn them into a whip with razor sharp thorns. However, he allowed himself to praise his foresight as to practice many years ago with other type of weaponry. This wasn't the first time his ability to plan ahead had saved his life. Resolving to grow his hair out in order to conceal his roses in it if he survived, he continued to block and strike with everything he had. His opponent was fast, and it took all his skill to match him…but for how long he could keep this up he did not know.

Hiei's POV

Hiei continued to be amazed at this seemingly frail boy. His demon energy was unmistakable, and yet he appeared to be human. Also his weapon of choice was very strange. Hiei had only heard of one fighter that had made a name for himself using plants as weapons, and that demon had been dead for over a decade. As it were only fox spirits used such weaponry. Yet he had undoutable skill in having fought him off this long. It was rare that he encountered such a match for his skill in the Human Realm. There was more to this boy than meets the eye.

Kurama's POV

"Your good!" his mysterious opponent praised, "Too good for Eight-hands! Why do you serve him?"

This question immediately caught Kurama off guard, "What?" he demanded still poised for attack, "You're kidding! You mean…Eight-Hands is in town?"

His assailant suddenly stopped his assault coming to a halt several feet away, surprise evident on his features.

"Wait a second! You didn't know? "He commanded.

"I know now," was Kurama's reply, "Know this—I serve no one. His is where I live, as a human."

Suddenly leaning heavily and resting his hand on his thigh, his opponent relented, "Well, this is me looking stupid…"

Kurama suddenly became aware of the dripping of blood under his cloak pooling beneath his feet. If he wasn't so intent on the battle he may have noticed the smell before. With a small sound of pain his adversary fell heavily to the ground, his wound plus the stress of battle making him collapse from either blood loss or exhaustion.

_Eight-Hands…the eight handed demon! That's just great!_ He thought in silent desperation. _I'm no match for him at my level… _Looking down at the demon at his feet Kurama contemplated what to do. It didn't feel right to just leave him here, and it seemed as if they had a common enemy. With amusement Kurama recalled that clichéd human saying he had once heard "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Well in any case it wouldn't hurt to heal this demon at the very least.

Moving to carry the demon on his back Kurama decided to take a roundabout route to get home avoiding potential stares and any unwanted attention this current situation might bring. The demon proved to be a very easy burden to bare being very light and it did not take long for Kurama to reach his house unnoticed. Being a thief in a previous life had its advantages and he knew how not to get caught. Lying the demon down on his bed after removing the covers (blood is just so hard to get out) he removed his cloak in order to get a better look at the wound. It was worse than he thought. He took a moment to be amazed that this fighter could even walk with such an injury let alone fight with such prowess. Then he took a more professional approach. In order for him to heal it he would have to summon a plant from the Demon Realm, something he had yet to attempt in his new body. Nevertheless, he had come this far he might as well finish the job, so he set about cleaning the wound after retrieving a cloth and a bucket of cold water from the bathroom. While he did so some deep voice inside of him silently berated him for the fool task he was undertaking. _A bloodthirsty demon barrels out of nowhere and attempts to take my head off and what do I do, take him home where my defenseless mother lives, lay him on my bed where I sleep at night, and heal his wound, that if it wasn't for I would probably be dead already. _Yet it was more than kindness that had moved him to this action. There was something about this demon he could not place…not compassion per se, but he could tell that he wasn't wholly evil like the other demons he had come across in his time as a human. He was good at reading people, and he could see more behind this fighter than just a vicious exterior. It was only a misunderstanding that had led them to violence, so he felt that his actions were not wholly idiotic.

Having summoned the plant, pleasing himself that it did not take too much energy to create, he left the demon to rest, sitting back against the far wall in case he awoke. He was shocked that the wound instantly began to close until all that was left were two thin scratches. He sat contemplating the implication of Eight-Hands being in town. It didn't bode well. This demon was particularly strong, stronger than him at any rate. He ate other beings in order to survive, gaining power with each being he consumed. There was no telling how many humans he had eaten since settling here though he had some idea. Kurama doubted that all these missing persons cases and this demon had nothing in common. Then there was the demon before him. He was quite powerful and seemed to hold an enmity for Eight-Hand, yet Kurama could not foresee him being able to end the monster. While treating his wound Kurama was curious about the bandana he wore, suspecting something amiss. He was not disappointed to find the closed lid of a Jagan eye on his forehead. The Jagan was a very powerful thing to posses; it holds powers of far sight, telepathy, and mind control. However, the implantation process is extremely painful so it is exceeding rare for one to survive the procedure let alone live through the weakened state that the wielder is subjected to after such an intense ordeal. Kurama could sense due to the demon's weakened state that this eye was a newly acquired acquisition.

Kurama was suddenly brought out of his musings when he heard a voice from his bed.

"Yukina..." he heard the demon mutter. Standing Kurama came to look down on the still reposing form. _Yukina…that sounds like the name of a female…perhaps this demon is after Eight-Hands for noble reasons. Could this Eight-Hands have captured a woman close to this demon's heart?_

In the old factory on the edge of town a pleased Slime Ogre presented his master with the young girl he had ensnared.

"Isn't she a gem? He asked with practically a beam on his ugly disembodied face.

"Indeed," came the high pitched croon of Eight-Hands, "Well done. She will make a fine repast."

Reaching a clawed hand to her he continued, "Her spiritual richness is deepening as we speak," he could barely contain his glee ,"My power will double if I devour her at the peak of ripeness!"

"But I'm hungry now," he continued reaching for the pitiful ogre before him, "As your reward, slime…I will make you part of me."

"Wh-what? Wait I…" pleaded the lowly demon, but his efforts were in vain as Eight-Hands casually grabbed him and in one sickening slurp devoured him entirely.

"Filling…but hardly a delicacy. Females, human or demon make the finest fare…"

Heie's POV

_This is wrong_, he thought. _I feel…comfortable_. There was softness against his back and he no longer felt any pain in his abdomen. He struggled briefly to recall what had happened before he lost consciousness. _I was fighting that demon…_

He suddenly sat bolt upright immediately taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a rather unremarkable bedroom of some kind. A table was to his right, pillows removed from the bed he was sitting on were visible beneath it, and a book case and desk were to his left. Directly across from him was a window underneath which sat the demon he had previously been fighting.

"Better already, I see," came the demon's soft voice, "And after just four hours rest." Realizing he was in no immediate danger he spared a moment to peer at his chest. _My wound…it's healed. _He took a moment to struggle to comprehend what had happened. Why had this demon, who he had tried to kill not four hours before, taken me to his home and healed me?

"It was quite deep, so I treated it with an herb from the Demon Plane," he said seeing Hiei's gaze linger on his chest, "Hope you don't mind."

"You…uh…also talked in your sleep…" he began startling Hiei. _What have I revealed_, he mentally worried. This was the first time he had willingly or not slept in the presence of another, "…about someone named Yukina."

Either he was ignorant to Hiei's discomfort or he chose to ignore it he continued on, "And your Jagan eye…your aura indicates that you got it quite recently. That's not something one acquires without a compelling reason. Is there a link between this Yukina and Eight-Hands?" he posed the question mildly enough, but Hiei could not stop his outraged reaction.

"That's none of your business! In fact…" he leveled a glare so intense it's been known to send weak demons running. The fact alone that this demon took the glower without so much as blinking almost made Hiei respect him, "I should kill you for what you know."

And he had contemplated it. This sly creature had figured out more about him in four hours than anyone who knew him his whole lifetime. There was something about this demon…However his honor stopped him. This demon had healed him seemingly without ulterior motives. This was rare in itself, and Hiei only briefly realized that this may have been the first time anyone had ever shown him kindness.

"But that would be ungrateful of me so…" he continued leaving the bed and whipping on his cloak in one fluid gesture reaching the window, "Let me warn you—your humanity will prove fatal one day." And he meant it. There was a reason this situation was unique for him. Demons don't generally help one another. Only the strong survived in his race. Yet this creature before him was truly an oddity. His time in the human world must have softened his demonic nature.

"You're going out to fight again?" he asked voice carefully neutral as Hiei put one foot out the window, "I'm not sure you're ready."

"This can't wait, and neither can I, " he replied irritated, "The more Eight-Hands eats, the stronger he gets.

Turning to him the red-head asked, "Will you at least leave me your name?"

It was an innocent enough question, but Hiei hesitated before answering. _Well, I might as well, he already knows too much about me, and he did heal me. It's the least I can do…_

"Hiei" he said before vanishing in to the night.

Kurama's POV

So that's the infamous Hiei. He has quite a rep on the Demon Plane," he said to himself. It was true this demon was known to be particularly violent and murderous, and yet he must care deeply for this Yukina to go with such haste to his inevitable doom, "I don't think even he's up to talking Eight-Hands alone…"

Kurama was abruptly snapped from his thoughts by the loud ringing of his telephone. Curiously he answered, wondering who it could be. He hardly got social calls.

"Minamino residence." He answered in his usual polite façade.

"Shuichi? This is Tasaka," came the familiar sullen tones of one of his classmates. _What reason does he have for calling much less at this late hour_..?

He didn't have to wait long to get his answer. "Kitajima's folks just called; she hasn't come home yet, " fear settled in the pit on his stomach like a weight momentarily immobilizing him, "You wouldn't know where she is, wouldya, jerk-o?"

Politely denying any such knowledge careful to convey a hint of concern in his voice he ended the conversation and put the phone down.

_The worst-case scenario—it's happened…what he had tried so hard to shield her from has indeed occurred. _He thought in despair. There was nothing else for it, he had to go and defeat Eight-Hand and save Maya.

Hiei's POV

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop he was surprised to sense a familiar aura coming up behind him.

"I'm coming with you." Said the voice of the demon from before.

"What's fired you up, fox-boy?" he queried curious as to why he would suddenly want to fight. He didn't seem interested before.

"There's a new wrinkle," was the cryptic reply. Hiei could guess what this was about and scorned his reasoning.

"That girl, eh? You're a softie." He baited his companion.

"You should talk, thief," came the acerbic reply effectively aggravating him further.

"You're starting to get on my nerves," he warned letting his tone leave no doubt as to what happened to those who got on his nerves.

"Save that hostility for Eight-Hands," was his caustic and unperturbed reply.

Omniscient POV

It took very little time for them to reach the burnt factory building that doubled as Eight-Hands's lair. Hiei seemed to know where he was going and Kurama followed in silence, hoping against hope that Maya was alive and unharmed.

"A burnt out factory," Hiei said with distaste, "just the place...for third rate demon trash to hang out."

_Maya. _Kurama thought urgently as if by will alone he could make her live.

"So glad you disapprove," can a high pitched voice from behind the duo. They both barely had enough time to dodge as three of the eight hands came smashing down.

Kurama took a moment to take in the monstrous appearance of the beast before him. He was at least eight feet tall clad only in a fur battle skirt belted with the skulls of what he was sure was former victims. He had an angular face with mere slits for eyes and long hair that hung limp on his broad shoulders. His skin had a sickly blue hue. Three arms merged with the skin on each of his sides and two arms protruded from opposite sides of his head.

"Don't give up. Do you?" he asked arrogantly as neither moved to launch an immediate counter-attack.

"Never have," was Hiei's retort eager to find out if his sister still lived, "The ice maiden you ate—who was she?"

"We weren't properly introduced…" he laughed amusement clear in his tone and posture.

"The girl you kidnapped today," interjected his companion losing no time, "Where is she?"

"You one of her little friends?" asked the demon mockingly, "Okay, I'll give you a hint."

He raised the remains of a severed leg fresh with blood. The leg looked to have belonged to a young girl…

"Know what this is?" he asked unashamed.

The boy shivered at the sight and flung himself at the creature in his anger yelling, "You beast."

_Fool_, Hiei thought_, letting yourself be goaded like that_. Regardless he joined the fray as well giving his partner much needed back up.

They both swung at the creature, Hiei with his katana and his partner with his grass blade. However, Eight-Hands easily swatted their attempts as if they were mere flies, an annoyance at best.

"I could easily swat 200 runts like you," he bragged delivering a clean blow to Hiei's face, and one to the others chest. Both were uninjured though their clothing could not say the same.

_Separate attacks are useless!_ They both thought.

_/Hiei, I have an idea. / _came a telepathic thought to Hiei's mind. He was momentarily surprised that this demon had the capability but almost instantly recovered.

_/What?/_

_/We attack together. You flit behind me, and I'll throw a mannequin into the air. While he's distracted that will give you enough time to make the first strike. Just don't miss/_

_/Hn/_ he agreed.

Moving in coordination they prepared for the assault.

"Impertinent microbes" Eight-Hands admonished, "You're no better together!" he paused then. The dark one had disappeared. _Where's Hiei? Behind Kurama?_ He thought incredulously mocking their lack of originality. _No! That old ploy!_

Just as he thought that he saw a black blur jumping in the air_. There he is. He's leaping._

Effortlessly blocking Kurama's hit he gave a snide reply, "heh heh, so easy to parry. No challenge at all," he said cocking his hand back to strike Hiei.

"..Cause I saw it comin!" he announced smashing …the mannequin to pieces? "What the—a doll decoy!"

Looking up he say a cloakless Hiei baring down upon him faster than he could react as Kurama moved in to his exposed side., "Aww spit."

Together they effective split him in to three pieces one head, one torso, and one waist.

As his disembodied head began to fall he conceded to tell them what they had asked, "I'm impresses…so I'll answer your questions!"

"The girl is safe…and I never partook of an ice maiden. If I had eaten something so fine…you'd be the ones…on the ground...in pieces…" and he lay dead on the cold ground never to slake his hunger again.

_Bah! Another dead-end._ Though, he could not deny his relief that the demon had not eaten his sister. He would just have to start his search a new. Flitting away as his companion went to collect the human, Hiei stayed nearby but out of site curious as to how he would explain this to her.

Kurama had taken Maya from the building relieved that she was unharmed and grateful that she was unconscious. He took a moment to briefly wonder how he would explain away the slashes on his only school uniform to his mother castigating himself for not changing…but time had been of the essence. She was lying against his back as he dug in his pockets for the seed of the seed of the plant that would make her forget. Causing it to bloom he let the pollen create a haze around them as she slowly regain consciousness.

"…uh..huh? Minamino…what.." she asked groggily her body half asleep and her mind fogged by the effects of the pollen, "Oh I see…a dream…"

"That's right a dream…" Kurama reiterated placating, "…that you'll forget when you wake up."

"This one… smells nice…" she said sleepily before passing again to a dreamless doze.

_You'll forget your feelings for me as well._

"Dream flower pollen…" stated Hiei seemingly materializing from the very darkness itself, "…to erase memories."

"It's for the best."

"As you say. By the way…" he asked despite himself. It was without a doubt that they had worked very well together, and their fighting styles complimented one another, "…Care to leave me your name? I'll try to remember it."

Speaking aloud the name he had not said for a decade and a half he replied, "Kurama."

Stunned Hiei kept his face passive. That was indeed the first name that came to his mind when he saw his strange plant attack. But the legendary King of Thieves was thought to have died fourteen years ago…wait, this human body appears to be just that age. Is it possible he was reincarnated…

And so, a budding romance between Maya and Kurama was cut short, with Maya none the wiser. Hiei continued his search for Yukina. A year later, Kurama and Hiei joined forced with Goki, which led to their fateful clash with Yusuke Urameshi.

_A/N So that was me stretching my writing muscles so to speak and testing how to upload works. Keep in mind anything that wasn't dialogue barring a few thoughts was all from my mind. Thanks for reading!_


End file.
